Accenting melody notes

[donnieboy]

I am a beginner with a few months practice time. Generally I can learn notations from tab, hitting correct notes etc. Trouble is that the results of my efforts do not sound like the songs I am trying to play. Is there a real secret behind hearing the tune in bluegrass or does it "just happen" eventually? On some songs I just cannot identify the melody anyway. HELP!

[Pete]

Donnie,

Sorry you're having this frustration. If I could hear you playing a particular tune, I could give you suggestions and guidance. So this leads me to suggest that you try hard to find a good banjo teacher. The teacher could help you make sense of the tab, and maybe play it for you in a way that helps you hear the way it's supposed to sound.

There are some tabs that indicate which notes are melody notes, and that feature would help you. But even if the notes are not marked, it's often possible to tell which notes in a tab are melody notes. For one thing, almost never is a note on the first string or the 5th string a melody note (of course there are exceptions, but they're pretty rare). Notes played by the thumb (excluding 5th string notes) are often melody notes. Notes played on the 3rd or 4th string are generally melody notes. Thumb notes that happen on the first note of a measure are probably melody notes. That should help narrow it down.

It sounds as though you are trying to learn banjo by way of playing a series of songs verbatim from tablature. I recommend no more than a few songs learned from tab at first. After a person can do that, I recommend they find the melody notes to a song by ear, and then make a project of trying to weave those melody notes into rolls. Making up solos on your own is a challenge, but it's a very good one to take on, as it's the way to get beyond the dead end of only being able to play from tablature.

My most recent video is called Make Up Your Own Solos. It will show you the ropes of soloing, and I recommend you check it out!

Pete

[donnieboy]

Pete

Many thanks for such a prompt reply. Perhaps I was not too clear, but even when I know what the melody notes are, and I try to accent them by making them a little louder etc I still do not hear a melody when I play.
Donnie

[Pete]

even when I know what the melody notes are, and I try to accent them by making them a little louder etc I still do not hear a melody when I play.

Donnie,
Not sure what you mean, as you're saying you know the melody notes and accent them but do not hear a melody.

Try singing the melody notes as you play the song. That would have to help.

It's possible the tab you're using is not trying very hard to convey a melody, or it's a different version of the melody than you are familiar with?

Pete

[oddman]

Hi,

I feel your pain! As a beginner I have and still am many times suffering from the same dilemma. I suspect that for some players this comes automatically and they won't understand what we are struggling with. The good news is that even for us it will get easier, it just takes more work.
Far too often, I have compared the melody from a recording and tried to pick the melody out of a tab, just to find out that they're not the same! What I often have done is to find the melody notes in the tab (they are in there somewhere) and highlight them. Play just these notes a few rounds so you get familiar wih the tune. If it doesn't sound the same as a recording, you have some options. Either don't listen to that recording, find a more close recording, find a closer matching tab, or change the tab to fit your recording. If you change the tab, please be careful so you don't make the roll unplayable. I have used all of these tricks at times.
Once I'm comfortable with the melody I start rolling. Very slowly! The trick is here to keep rolling without losing the melody. I exaggerate the melody notes when I start out. As you start playing quicker, the melody will meld in better.
Try to play the melody notes with the right finger as you would when you put the rolls in.
Please be aware that I'm no banjo instructor, quite the opposite! I'm a complete rookie that have struggled very hard with the same problem you have and had to try to find ways to work around it.
Good luck!
Knut

[Pete]

Far too often, I have compared the melody from a recording and tried to pick the melody out of a tab, just to find out that they're not the same! What I often have done is to find the melody notes in the tab (they are in there somewhere) and highlight them. Play just these notes a few rounds so you get familiar with the tune. If it doesn't sound the same as a recording, you have some options. Either don't listen to that recording, find a more close recording, find a closer matching tab, or change the tab to fit your recording. If you change the tab, please be careful so you don't make the roll unplayable. I have used all of these tricks at times.
Once I'm comfortable with the melody I start rolling. Very slowly! The trick is here to keep rolling without losing the melody. I exaggerate the melody notes when I start out. As you start playing quicker, the melody will meld in better.
Try to play the melody notes with the right finger as you would when you put the rolls in.
Please be aware that I'm no banjo instructor, quite the opposite! I'm a complete rookie that have struggled very hard with the same problem you have and had to try to find ways to work around it.
Good luck!
Knut

Thanks for chiming in, Knut. These are all good suggestions.

One thing that's not been mentioned is the "divide and conquer" principle. Too often when there is a tab, a player will just plow through it from start to finish. In that situation, the player is preoccupied with *reading*, and this is one of the pitfalls of using tablature. REAL PLAYERS DO NOT THINK IN TABLATURE. So if you want to sound like them, try doing what they do: Real players think of the melody, and their right hand just keeps putting out notes in rhythm because *it knows how to*. If you spend a lot of brain power telling your right hand when to hit the first and fifth strings and all that, that's a lot of brain power that should be spent on other stuff. Your right hand should know how to keep the flow going in rhythm just like your legs and feet know what to do when you give the simple command "walk". If this doesn't happen, you need to just keep rolling! Practice rolling along smoothly with chord changes. Go ahead and put on a good record, and roll along while making the right chords. Not only is that fun AND sounds good, but it also helps instill the fundamental routine of your right hand... keep time, and don't let up, even as you reach for different melody notes with your thumb and other fingers.

If you work on the song a line at a time instead of plowing through all 16 measures, you'll get more done with obvious results. Divide and conquer.

My guess is that you don't play with other musicians, and so rarely have to keep a roll going for any length of time. I'm guessing that's what you need most. My strongest advice: Don't sit there trying to play haltingly from tablature. Play along in real time with real music, and let the melody emerge naturally. Play songs, and not banjo instrumentals, as their melodies are easier to follow and easier to play. You'll get it.

Best of luck!

Pete

[Gus]

I am no teacher, but I have had the same problem. Its not getting the right note that is going to bring out the melody you are trying to hear, but timing. Use a metro and work out the timing you'll hear the melody. Guaranteed.
Well that's my opinion. Hope this is of some help

[mariaharper]

Hmmmm
Very interesting information
i appreciate it

[JimWing]

I'm not a banjo player, so I can't help with the "how-to." But I can tell you that listening to and trying to play with a banjo player who is playing memorized TAB and not making the melody stand out is frustrating. From my perspective, first make sure you can keep the beat, so even if I can't comprehend what you are playing, at least we will get to the end at the same time. Then, work on bringing out the melody out so it is more pleasurable and comprehensible. Simplify the arrangement if you need to.

A related point: lots of beginning banjoists play the same volume for everything, even backup on softer songs. This detracts from the music and can get irritating. Practice all your playing at different volumes; that might make it easier to make the melody pop.